From 300 Arguments, by Sarah Manguso

Can’t argue this one. Where’s the lie?

***I do want to leave a note here about the impact, if you will, of how one writes… what one writes… and how it shapes thought. Too many novels begin at the wide end of the funnel and end at a narrowed conclusion. There is a statement at the end that says, “This is the real shit. This is how it is. This is exactly where I wanted to leave you.” A poem, or an aphorism, or an argument if you will, begins at the narrow end of the funnel and sprays you out into space. It can say, “What you have believed to be true may not be, and I want you to take a bit and really give it some thought.”

It’s not that a long-form work or a novel can’t do that same thing, but too many don’t. My favorites are the ones that do, but they are rare. I do appreciate even those that just want me to see one specific picture or view, but I prefer art that leaves me with questions and preferably questions that take me out of my comfort zone and leave me in an unsteady place. Questioning myself, perhaps.***